MacTech Blog

Aug 12

Contactless POS Terminal Retail Transactions to...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that the global value of contactless POS (point of sale) terminal transactions, conducted in-store via cards, mobile and wearables, will approach $500 billion annually by 2017; this is up from an estimated $321 billion this year.

However, the low value nature of contactless payments means that it will only represent just 5% of the total value of all POS transactions in 2017. According to the research group, the surge in contactless-enabled POS terminals in 2015, allied to retailer obligations to card companies in many markets to ensure that all terminals will be contactless ready by 2020, is likely to prompt an upsurge in migration to contactless payment. For example, Visa announced more than 3.2 million contactless terminals in Europe as of April 2016, up 23% from 2.6 million at the end of April 2015.

Survey findings released today from Ogilvy Media Influence's first-ever global survey of over 200 reporters and editors found that 72% of respondents agree that traditional media outlets are the most trusted news sources.

Carried out by Ogilvy Media Influence team members in 23 offices across North America, APAC and EMEA, the survey uncovered the growing importance of new platforms [54%] in managing newsrooms today.

"Our survey showed how the emergence of new platforms is the biggest trend effecting newsrooms, as consumers are increasingly reading news on apps, and social media platforms," said Jennifer Risi, managing director, Ogilvy Media Influence and Head of Media Relations. "The source of a news story still matters, especially in North America and EMEA, where traditional media outlets remain the most trusted. It will be key for PR professionals to adapt to new platforms (such as Snapchat) and find new ways to reach consumers in the places where they live and...

These findings are from MUSO's “Global Film & TV Piracy Market Insight Report 2016,” which saw the company analyze global traffic from 14,000 of the largest global piracy websites, comprising of over 141 billion visits to these sites, and across 200m measured devices.

Out of a total 78.49 billion film and television piracy site visits, 73.69% (57.84 billion) were visits to streaming sites, with 72.07% of visits via desktop devices, indicating consumption of infringing video content via mobile devices remains low. With over 12% (9.86...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com)p says 51% of U.S. broadband households find an IoT [Internet of Things] device that alerts them to smoke and fire highly appealing, and 41% find a device that alerts them to a water leak to be highly appealing.

The research group notes these smart home use cases would benefit insurance companies in both saving costs and adding value to their customers. lso, 38% of U.S. broadband households have very strong intentions to buy a smart home device in 2016.

"The insurance industry is quickly emerging as a key player in multiple smart home ecosystems," said Tom Kerber, director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. "The advanced detection and alert capabilities in smart home devices give insurance companies new and innovative ways to avoid risks and reduce fire or water damage. State Farm and Liberty Mutual have both...

The worldwide smart phone market grew modestly in the second quarter (Q2 2016) after a disappointing first quarter, according to the Canalys (www.canalys.com) research group.

Global shipments reached over 330 million units, with Samsung leading the market with shipments around 80 million units. A disappointing quarter a year ago led to favorable annual comparisons, while shipments were flat compared with Q1.

“The success of the Galaxy S7 together with a de-emphasis on the low end of its portfolio has led to a rise in handset ASP [average sales price],” says Canalys Senior Analyst Tim Coulling. ‘“Samsung’s VR move has proved a wise one, with Gear VR bundles helping boost flagship handset sales.”

Apple shipped 40 million iPhones in Q2, a second consecutive annual decline in shipments.

The Technavio research group (www.technavio.com) forecasts that the Bluetooth speaker market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 33% through 2020.

One of the major factors driving the sale of Bluetooth speakers globally is its ability to stream audio content wirelessly and easily. Modern devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets are equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity enabling impressive streaming of content, which is another driving factor supporting the growth of the Bluetooth speaker market.

“Bluetooth speakers offer a multitude of benefits making them popular among consumers. These devices need no wiring, consume less space when compared to home theaters, and run on batteries, thus making them suitable for outdoor purposes. They promise durability, hassle-free maintenance, and faster functionalities. All these factors are propelling the demand for Bluetooth speakers, which...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) finds that less than 5% of U.S. broadband households own a smart appliance such as a full-sized refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, or washer/dryer that can be monitored or controlled using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. However, the research shows 18% of consumers plan to buy a smart appliance in the next 12 months.

"Smart appliances have generated lots of attention, but market adoption is low due to low product availability, higher costs, and use cases that do not address customer needs," said Tom Kerber, director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. Purchase intentions of major appliances that can be connected to the Internet have grown from 9% in early 2014 to 18% in late 2015. However, the fact that actual adoption rates are far lower reflects a disconnect in the industry.”

New data from Parks Associates shows that 55% of OTT services in the U.S. have a subscription-only business model, such as Netflix or Hulu. In Canada, 50% of OTT services offer subscription-only services.

"There is an enormous amount of change going on in the OTT space right now, with new OTT video services entering the market each month. Many of these services have subscription as at least part of their business model," said Brett Sappington, senior director of Research, Parks Associates. "The recent ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is not likely to affect OTT video service business models. An OTT video service is unlikely to pursue legal action against someone who pays less than $10 per month unless they are doing something that disrupts the service.”

Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that sharing passwords without the authorization of the system's owner is a crime that can be prosecuted under the U.S....

The Spy is late again with this column. His reason is the first encounter.

Some time back a tree trunk some seventy-five centimetres thick broke off a big leaf maple some 10 metres up and fell across his neighbour's barbed wire fence. Fortunately cattle no longer graze there, so nothing escaped. His tree, his responsibility, so after recovering from painkillers following dental surgery (another encounter with technology), he cranked up his Stihl 261 chain saw (yet another) and bucked the part that was over the fence.

Over the August long weekend he was moving some of that wood in preparation for stocking his woodshed when he had a close encounter with a band of hornets, several of which got into his hardhat and pin cushioned his scalp. Others chased him until out of the woods, the orchard and nearly back to the house, where he opened the door, asked wife Joyce (of 47 years) for Advil and water, fetched a chair to the driveway...

Global Risk Technologies (http://globalrisktechnologies.com) is warning consumers to avoid falling victim to identify theft and other types of fraud exposed by cybercriminals harvesting personal data unwittingly left on old smartphones when they are resold or recycled.

According to the latest estimates, 62% of Western Europeans (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK) own a smartphone and users typically look to replace their device approximately every 20 months.1 However, evidence from AVAST shows that people often leave behind personal data and files, with half of the twenty random smartphones analysed leaving over 1,200 photos, over 300 emails/texts, the identities of two previous owners, three invoices, one work contract and one explicit video.

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) says that controller and 26% will have a home security system.

"Companies such as Samsung are beginning to embed smart home controllers into their consumer entertainment products, meaning consumers who buy a smart TV or smart appliance will be bringing these solutions into their homes, often without understanding the full extent of their capabilities," said Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. "These smart home capabilities will come into play as consumers adopt other smart home devices, such as smart lighting and IP cameras."

Parks Associates research shows:

° Unit sales of IP cameras will reach nearly 6 million in 2016, including 3.2 million first-time sales.

° By 2017, the number of replacement or additional IP camera sales will exceed the number of first-time sales.

Despite acute awareness of the millions of dollars in annual costs, and the business risks posed by external internet threats, security leaders highlight the lack of staff expertise and technology as a key reason that these attacks are unchecked, according to results from a new Ponemon Institute study.

Seventy-nine percent of the IT and IT security practitioners polled indicated their defensive infrastructure to identify and mitigate those threats are either non-existent, ad hoc or inconsistently applied throughout the enterprise. The findings reveal that the companies represented in this research averaged more than one cyber attack per month and incurred annual costs of approximately $3.5 million because of these attacks.

Worldwide security software revenue totaled $22.1 billion in 2015, a 3.7% increase in from 2014, according to Gartner, Inc.

Security information and event management (SIEM) remained the fastest-growing segment in 2015, with 15.8 % growth, while consumer security software showed the sharpest decline at 5.9% year-on-year. In 2015, the top five vendors together accounted for 37.6% of the security software revenue market share, down 3.1 percentage points from 2014. These vendors also displayed a collective decline of 4.2% in 2015, while the rest of the market (Others) grew strongly at 9.2% year-on-year.

"The below-market growth seen by these large vendors with complex product portfolios is in contrast to the market growth and disruption being introduced by smaller, more specialized security software vendors," said Sid Deshpande, principal research analyst at Gartner.

Symantec maintained the No. 1 position despite the company suffering its third consecutive year of...

New data from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) says that the global consumer NAS market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.01% during the period 2016-2020.

The research group says a trend that’s positively impacting the market is the reduction in prices of individual consumer NAS devices. The cost of devices such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and hard drives is reduced on a YoY basis or when a powerful alternative to a device is released by vendors. Few individual consumers are unaware of NAS appliances being an alternative to external hard drives and DAS.

According to the Research and Markets report, a key growth driver is the increase in the number of connected home devices. Many individuals use Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to communicate for personal and professional purposes on a global scale.

A recent Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com) survey found that 41% of surveyed IT professionals believe their IT organization to be ready for the digital business of the next two years. Twenty nine percent of those surveyed said that engagement with the demands of digital business would be their primary duty or a significant part of their duties.

In the first quarter of 2016, Gartner surveyed 948 Gartner clients across 30 countries. Those surveyed were IT professionals representing many job categories and technology disciplines and were asked about their role in their organization’s efforts to transform itself in order to meet the challenges of digital business.

"IT professionals indicate that their investment priorities, infrastructure changes, skills development and business-IT interactions are in flux, and that they are unsure how their IT organization will make it through any digital transformation," said...

Augmented reality is projected to be a $105 billion market for U.S.enterprise within 15 years, with early adopters of the disruptive technology gaining a competitive advantage in their industries, according to a market perspective released by Index AR Solutions (www.indexarsolutions.com). The projected $105 billion in revenue includes $49 billion in hardware, $11 billion in software and $45 billion in services.

These are among the key findings of an Index AR Solutions market perspective researched and written by the firm's executive team and released today. Authors of the market perspective are Index AR Solutions President and CEO Dan Arczynski, Executive Vice President and COO Dexter Lilley and Director of Operations John Arczynski.

"This market perspective is a must read for companies and organizations considering augmented reality," Arczynski said. "Augmented reality is an investment in...

A new report from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) estimates global mobile data revenue will increase from $386 billion in 2015 to $630 billion in 2020, with most of the revenue growth in the Asia & Pacific region and the rest of the world.

The research group says North America and Western Europe will see only minimal growth, and in the U.S. especially, alternatives such as Wi-Fi have drawn consumer interest to reduce their mobile data bills. Cable operators are promoting Wi-Fi hotspots, and roughly 70% of U.S. mobile consumers are interested in Wi-Fi-only data plans.

A new study by Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) as found that the value of digital content transactions paid for by carrier billing is expected to reach $47 billion by 2020, more than 4 times 2015’s figure of just under $11.3 billion.

According to the new research Apple’s decision to test carrier billing in Germany and Russia is likely to herald a substantial number of further deployments in the medium term. Juniper says the move will be essential if Apple is to monetize unbanked owners of refurbished devices in emerging markets, who would otherwise be limited to paying for content via iTunes gift cards.

The report also says that carrier billing solutions could be a key means of monetizing content purchased within an array of environments, including connected cars and for in-flight infotainment. However, the research found that the operator practice of setting daily or monthly...

Worldwide IT spending is forecast to be flat in 2016, totaling $3.41 trillion, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). This is up from last quarter's forecast of negative 0.5 percent growth. The change in the forecast is mainly due to currency fluctuations, notes the research group.

"The current Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast assumes that the U.K. would not exit the European Union. With the U.K.'s exit, there will likely be an erosion in business confidence and price increases which will impact U.K., Western Europe and worldwide IT spending," said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner.

While the U.K. has embarked on a process to change, that change is yet to be defined. The "leave" vote will quickly affect IT spending in the U.K. and in Europe while other changes will take longer. Staff may be the largest immediate issue. The long-term uncertainty in work status will make the...

Tripwire (www.tripwire.com), a global provider of endpoint detection and response, security and compliance solutions, has announced the results of a study conducted for Tripwire by Dimensional Research.

The Tripwire study evaluated the confidence of IT professionals regarding the efficacy of seven key security controls, which must be in place to quickly detect a cyber attack in progress. Study respondents included 763 IT professionals from various industries, including 103 participants from federal government organizations.

Despite the persistent issues surrounding privileged access, almost one-third (thirty percent) of federal government respondents in Tripwire’s survey disclosed they are not able to detect every non-privileged user’s attempt to access files. In addition, seventy-three percent of federal government respondents assume their system would generate an alert or email within hours if a user...

According to the latest forecast from IDC (www.idc.com), total spending on IT infrastructure products (server, enterprise storage, and Ethernet switches) for deployment in cloud environments will increase by 15.5% in 2016 to reach $37.1 billion. This amount excludes double counting between storage and servers, according to the research group.

In comparison, spending on enterprise IT infrastructure deployed in traditional, non-cloud, environments will decline by 4.4% in 2016, but will still account for the largest share, 63.4%, of end user spending. Spending on private cloud IT infrastructure will grow by 10.3% year over year to $13.8 billion with more than 60% of this amount contributed by on-premises private cloud environments. Spending on public cloud IT infrastructure will increase by 18.8% in 2016 to $23.3 billion.

All regions are expected to increase spending on cloud IT infrastructure in 2016 with investments...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that the total value of Bitcoin transactions is expected to exceed $92 billion this year, up from less than $27 billion in 2015. The research found that transaction volumes continued to be concentrated overwhelmingly on the exchanges, with Bitcoin now trading at values almost 50% higher than at the beginning of the year.

According to the new research, the rise in values could be attributed to three key factors:

° Uncertainty over Brexit – the research argued that Bitcoin’s value is to a significant extent dependent upon economic uncertainty and political instability as investors seek safe havens for their assets. Bitcoin’s price rose in the weeks leading up to the referendum, dipped briefly but sharply when it appeared that Britain would vote to remain in the EU, before recovering when the true result became apparent...

According to a new research report from the analyst firm of Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), the installed base of wireless IoT [Internet of Things] devices in industrial automation reached 14.3 million in 2015.

The number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.7% to reach 62.0 million by 2021. There is a wide range of wireless technologies used in industrial automation with different characteristics and use cases. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are the most widespread technologies in factory automation while cellular connectivity typically is used for remote monitoring and backhaul communication between plants.

The increasing popularity of Ethernet based networks in factory automation is one of the key drivers for the popularity of Wi-Fi in such applications. 802.15.4 based standards such as WirelessHART and ISA100.11a are major...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that approximately one-third of smart home device owners experience problems with their smart home devices and nearly 10% report problems connecting a smart home device to the home network router. Consumers encounter these issues more often when setting up smart sprinkler systems, networked security cameras, and water leak detectors compared to other smart home devices.

"Smart home devices utilize nascent technologies, which increases the likelihood of problems with setup, product interoperability, and user error," said Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. "Until emerging devices evolve to a point where they are reliable and intuitive, support providers must implement solid support strategies that ensure customers have good experiences during product onboarding and get the full benefits of their new products.”

Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that smart traffic management and smart parking initiatives, will save some 4.2 billion man-hours annually by 2021 — equivalent to each city driver saving nearly an entire working day per year.

Juniper found that while the “smart city” remains a relatively young concept, many cities are beginning to recognize the need to improve in terms of competitiveness and quality of life. Increasing urban populations are creating pressure on city resources, driving the need for new and efficient solutions. Indeed, Juniper notes that the smart city concept is now a global phenomenon.

Juniper’s study found that traffic easing measures are at the forefront of many smart cities’ efforts. Key to those considerations are the establishment of viable public transport networks to replace private vehicle use.

Search marketing takes a back seat to other marketing channels used by large enterprise companies, as indicated by a new survey released today. Of 500 companies surveyed, a modest 5% rank paid search ads as their top marketing priority, while only 4% prioritize 'organic' search engine optimization (SEO) – targeting unpaid listings at the top of Google search results pages. The survey was a collaboration of the B2B research firm Clutch, and R2integrated (R2i), a digital agency.

With over 90% of enterprise companies surveyed indicating the low priority they place on search marketing, the potential result is that enterprises that neglect search marketing as part of their multichannel strategy are unlikely to capture the full extent of customer demand, in the view of industry analysts.

"SEO is inextricably linked to other channels like social media, content marketing, and even email and TV," said Kara Alcamo, vice president, Digital Activation at R2i. "Many studies show...

The total worldwide PC monitor market shipped more than 29 million units in the first quarter of 2016 (1Q16), up 0.5% year over year but a decrease of 5.7% compared to the previous quarter, according to new data from IDC (www.idc.com).

The research group expects the global monitor market will continue to decline at rates around 3% year over year from 2018 through 2020. However, there should be some pockets of growth along the way, as illustrated by the Middle East and Africa region, which experienced its second sequential gain in a row, recording 3.8% quarter-over-quarter growth in 1Q16, said Maura Fitzgerald, senior research analyst.

IDC currently forecasts 114 million PC monitor units will be shipped for full year 2016 and expects to see a year-over-year decline of 7.4% in worldwide shipments to 27.1 million units in the first quarter of 2017. By 2020, worldwide shipments are expected to be less than 100 million...

New research from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that U.S. broadband households watch an average of 3.8 hours of Internet video on TV screens each week, accounting for 20% of all video viewed on this device.

The research group warns that consumers might increasingly use ad-blocking solutions while streaming video if the digital advertising methods disrupt their viewing experience. Parks Associates' digital media analysts advise service providers and media companies that the best defense against these ad blockers is to develop digital advertising models that are integrated and non-disruptive to the viewing experience.

The Spy is a wee bit late with this column. Too many birthdays in the last few days--Canada's on the first, the Excited States on the fourth and his own on the third. "How old?" his reader asks. It is a number in like class as the year 1961.

WWDC was somewhat a yawner, pretty much in accord the Spy's own predictions in his last column--no new products ready to sell, many software advances, and none of his maybe long shots became a reality--yet. Speaking of which, perhaps he will attend next year. Things then might be more interesting then.

Brexit was a surprise to some people. Perhaps with the polls indicating a remain side win, too many chose not to vote. Lots of consequences: accusations of fascism and racism, petitions for reconsidering, a hard negotiating stance from the EU (which holds all the cards), some flight of money that now gooses North American stock markets, political careers...

More than nine in 10 companies are struggling to deliver digital customer experiences that exceed their customers’ expectations, according to a new study from Accenture Interactive (www.accenture.com). The finding reflects the huge challenge brands are facing as customer expectations are becoming “liquid” and changing at a lightning pace.

The study is based on a survey of 702 customer experience decision-makers from companies in 14 countries. While 52% of all respondents said that they’re ahead of their competitors at providing digital customer experiences, only 7% said their company exceeds the expectations of their actual customers. Another 67% stated they ‘meet’ these expectations.

By 2020, a corporate "no-cloud" policy will be as rare as a "no-internet" policy is today, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com).

Cloud-first, and even cloud-only, is replacing the defensive no-cloud stance that dominated many large providers in recent years. Today, most provider technology innovation is cloud-centric, with the stated intent of retrofitting the technology to on-premises.

"Aside from the fact that many organizations with a no-cloud policy actually have some under-the-radar or unavoidable cloud usage, we believe that this position will become increasingly untenable," said Jeffrey Mann, research vice president at Gartner. "Cloud will increasingly be the default option for software deployment.
The same is true for custom software, which increasingly is designed for some variation of public or private cloud.”

This does not mean that everything will be cloud-based, and concern...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows only 19% of consumers are very familiar with programs that offer tax rebates or other incentives in return for energy-efficiency initiatives such as home remodeling or home energy management.

The research also shows only 15% of U.S. broadband households are very familiar with time-of-use (TOU) programs, but 36% of U.S. broadband households would participate in a program where they receive a payment for not using energy during a specific time of the day.

"Despite considerably low awareness of energy-efficiency programs, consumers are willing to take action to save energy-84% of U.S. broadband households took some kind of energy-savings action in 2015," said Eddie Accomando, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Utilities need to find better ways to get engaging information to their consumers.”

Forty-two percent of organizations expect to increase spending on mobile app development by an average of 31% in 2016, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Despite this, the average proportion of the overall application development budget allocated to mobile is only 10%, a 2% decrease from 2015, notes the research group.

The Gartner survey of IT and business leaders responsible for mobile strategy and/or custom mobile app development within their organizations was conducted in September 2015 across the United States, EMEA, Latin America and Asia/Pacific. The survey focused on understanding organizations' activities in mobile app development, covering both business-to-employee (B2E) and business-to-consumer (B2C) apps.

"Demand for mobile apps in the enterprise is growing, but the urgency to scale up mobile app development doesn't yet appear to be a priority for most organizations...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that global digital advertising spend across mobile, wearable and online devices will exceed $285 billion by 2020, up from an estimated $160 billion in 2016. This will be driven by an average annual growth of 22% in mobile and wearable advertising spend, as brands and retailers continue to invest in mobile consumer engagement.

The new research found that despite the rising adoption of ad blockers, better audience targeting will drive higher click through rates and increase publisher revenues. Research author Sam Barker said: “Publishers, such as Facebook, are utilising their unprecedented audience knowledge to offer advertisers highly accurate targeting, thereby increasing the click through rates that advertisers are witnessing now.”

He added that publishers who are able to offer the most efficient targeting are set to...

New research from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that consumers are steadily increasing their gaming activities on streaming media players, which includes form factors such as streaming sticks and boxes.

The research firm reveals that among U.S. broadband households with at least one Internet-connected device, 26% use their streaming media player as their primary device to access online video content. These households spend an average of 1.3 hours per week gaming on their streaming media players.

"Gaming consoles were once the dominant platform for accessing online content, but today, only 32% of U.S. broadband households with at least one Internet-connected CE device use their gaming console as their primary platform," said Barbara Kraus, director of Research, Parks Associates. "Gaming consoles are still in the lead, but smart TVs are a close second at 28%, with streaming...

New data from IDC (www.idc.com) says that 3D printer shipments in the United States grew by almost 20% in 2015 compared to 2014. What’s more, total 3D printer shipments in the U.S. are expected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 16% through 2020.

"People and companies that are adopting 3D printers are routinely realizing tremendous time and cost savings in their product creation and development cycles. As printer speeds increase and the range of materials expands, a growing number of products and parts, and therefore markets, will be impacted by 3D printing/additive manufacturing," said Tim Greene, research director, Hardcopy Solutions. "Already the 3D printer mix in the U.S. has changed over the last 12-24 months. While there are still a lot of shipments into the DIY/consumer market, tremendous growth remains in the segments with a more professional and manufacturing orientation. Leading 3D...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) finds that 23% of Millennial heads of household are OTT-only households, higher than the national average of 15% among all U.S broadband households.

The firm's analysts also note that 61% of Millennials subscribe to both pay-TV and OTT services, also higher than the national average of 52%. Other key points from the Parks Associates OTT research:

° Nearly 60% of OTT video services in the North American market are subscription-based.

° 64% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to an OTT video service, up from 59% in 2015.

° Average monthly spending on Internet-based subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services among U.S. broadband households increased from $3.71 per month in 2012 to $6.19 per month in 2015.

° Approximately 20% of U.S. broadband households cancelled at least one OTT video service in 2015.

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that eCommerce merchants and financial institutions will be investing heavily in online fraud detection solutions over the next five years, with annual spending reaching $9.2 billion by 2020, up by 30% on current levels..

According to the research, fraudsters now perceive mobile payment channels to be particularly vulnerable (and therefore attractive targets) as many organisations have yet to apply the same levels of protection to mobile as they have to desktop transactions.

Digital security companies regard the mitigation of mobile fraud as a key revenue generator in the medium term,” according to report author Gareth Owen. He says this was driving the development and implementation of advanced biometric authentication technologies which the companies claim can make mobile purchases as secure as any other web-based...

Over 110 million enterprise smartphones and tablets were shipped worldwide in the first quarter [Q1] 2016, according to Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com). W

Worldwide business smartphone shipments for Q1 2016 fell to 92.2 million units, down 21.0% from the previous quarter and up 0.5% annually from 91.8 million in Q1 2015; while the worldwide business tablet market fell to 17.3 million unit shipments in Q1 2016, down 34.5% sequentially from 26.4 million units in Q4 2015 and down 9.8% annually from 19.1 million in Q1 2015, according to the research group. Weakening global smartphone and tablet demand, slowing economy, and piling-up inventory were hammering the growth of both BYOD and corporate-liable markets in the first quarter of the year.

"Many enterprises withheld from investing in new deployments of smartphones in Q1 2016 and inventory built-up due to large volume...

A new survey from One Hour Translation (http://tinyurl.com/z2dc859), the world’s largest online translation agency, maps the leading languages into which English-language are translated by app developers from the United States and United Kingdom.

According to data from the first quarter of 2016, about 28% of all mobile applications written in English by U.S. developers are intended for localization in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. In the United Kingdom, the rate is even higher: 55%.

“Mobile app developers are thinking of ways to reach their target audience beyond the markets they usually work in, and they know that the way to do this is by localizing their apps,” says Yaron Kaufman, One Hour Translation’s co-founder and vice president of Marketing and Sales.

The survey examined 2500 Android apps on Google Play and iOS apps on Apple’s App Store developed in the United States...

WiGig has emerged as one of the most promising Wi-Fi standards in the recent few years with high speed data rates up to 7 Gbps operating in the 60 GHz band.

WiGig products have been on the market since 2013 (e.g. Dell Docking station) but the market has been slow to develop given a lack of compelling use cases and the need for development of new chip-sets to lower cost and drive usage. Much development work has been done in the last few years by OEMs and chip vendors.

After a few false starts, will 2016 be the year that WiGig will finally takes off? Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) says that many new products, across a number of sectors, have announced that they are adopting WiGig technology and the signs are very positive.

The smartphone market is getting more complex and dynamic, as well as maturing and being highly commoditized. In such mature market, technology improvements in smartphone has brought incremental enhancements and these are often not perceived by users as critical for them.

When it comes to the critical task of backing up data, nearly half of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the US say using both on-site and online solutions are important and necessary, according to a new survey by Clutch, a B2B research firm. In fact, many SMBs steadfastly hold to on-site backup, with 42% of those surveyed reporting that it's more important than online backup.
I
n the past two years alone, 63% of SMBs have adopted cloud-based backup solutions, according to Clutch's findings. Despite this surge, nearly 90% of SMBs continue to back up their data both online and on-site. The trend is to be expected, say cloud backup and disaster recovery thought leaders.

"It's natural for business owners to take a cautious approach to adopting technology, especially when it comes to securing their critical business data," said Mark Anderson, co-founder and IT srategist at Anderson Technologies. "SMBs are reluctant to abandon on-site backup and adopt cloud-...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that wireless home security sales are increasing and almost one-half of home security owners in the U.S. have a self-installed home security system that connects wirelessly to sensors.

"The emergence of 'monitor-it-yourself' and hybrid professional monitoring options for self-installed devices is a key trend for the smart home in 2016," said Brad Russell, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Almost 50% of smart home devices currently in U.S. broadband households are self-installed, by the owner or by the owner's friends or family members.”

The research also shows that:

° 80% of U.S. security dealers currently install smart home devices as part of their services.

° About 25% of security replacements or upgrades include at least one smart home device, such as smart thermostats, networked video cameras, or smart...

Although the majority of manufacturers have implemented digital platforms, more than half (51 percent) lack the skills to operate digital factories, according to a new study from Accenture (NYSE: ACN). The Accenture Strategy report (www/accenture.com) revealed that the more successful manufacturers have advanced talent strategies in place to digitally enable the workforce of the future.

“Cracking the Code on the Digital Factory,” a report based on a global study of 450 manufacturers, found that a growing skills gap is one of their biggest concerns – a situation that has worsened in recent years as manufacturers have transformed their operations using new technology, analytics and mobility capabilities.

Fifty-five percent of manufacturers, up from 38 percent in 2013, reported a skills gap among skilled trades laborers, who need to operate increasingly advanced digital machinery and equipment, such as 3D printers or modeling and simulation tools on the plant floor....

Businesses that want to win, serve, and retain customers on digital platforms are increasingly turning to American IT firms who can get them to market faster with more effective customer engagement solutions than offshore providers, according to a new CapTech study (www.captechconsulting.com).

New numbers reveal that 63% of IT sourcing decision makers will hire more onshore third-party service providers for digital transformation projects in the coming year. Late projects, poor communication, poor quality, and escalating total costs were cited as the main reasons for bringing offshore work back onshore. The survey found that U.S. service providers deliver more value and consistently better results for meeting the demands of today’s digitally empowered customers.

A key driver behind this outcome is that onshore services are more grounded in agile development. Using the agile approach...

WiGig has emerged as one of the most promising Wi-Fi standards in the recent few years with high speed data rates up to 7 Gbps operating in the 60 GHz band.

WiGig products have been on the market since 2013 (e.g. Dell Docking station) but the market has been slow to develop given a lack of compelling use cases and the need for development of new chip-sets to lower cost and drive usage. Much development work has been done in the last few years by OEMs and chip vendors.

After a few false starts, will 2016 be the year that WiGig will finally takes off? Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) says that many new products, across a number of sectors, have announced that they are adopting WiGig technology and the signs are very positive.

According to a new research report from Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), the number of North American and European homes with a smart thermostat grew by 81% to 5.8 million in 2015.

The North American market recorded a 78% growth in the installed base of smart thermostats to 4.5 million. In Europe, the total number of homes with a smart thermostat grew by 90% year-on-year to reach 1.4 million.

Berg Insight forecasts that the number of homes with smart thermostats in Europe and North America will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 54.5%during the next five years to reach 51.1 million in 2020. North America will remain the largest market at the end of the forecast period with 32.2 million homes that have smart thermostats, whereas the installed base in Europe is expected to reach 18.9 million homes.

Smart thermostats is a particularly attractive opportunity in the smart home...

According to a new research report from Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), the number smart homes in Europe and North America reached 17.9 million in 2015.

North America is the world’s most advanced smart home market and the region had an installed base of 12.7 million smart homes at the end of the year, a 56% year-on-year growth. The strong market growth is expected to last for years to come, driving the number of smart homes in North America to 46.2 million by 2020, which corresponds to 35% of all households, according to Berg Insight.

The European market is 2–3 years behind North America in terms of penetration and market maturity. At the end of 2015, there were 5.3 million smart homes in Europe and the market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 54% in the next five years to reach 44.9 million smart homes by 2020, which corresponds to 20% of all European households...

Mobile app users spend 24% more on in-app transactions than on upfront app payments, according to an online consumer survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Consumer preference for in-app transactions indicates that the flexibility they offer is delivering a better customer experience than paid-for downloads, according to the research group.

"Overall, the survey results showed that mobile app users are spending $7.40 on paid-for apps every three months and $9.20 on in-app transactions, resulting in a quarter more spending on in-app transactions," said Stephanie Baghdassarian, research director at Gartner. "This confirms that once users are confident that an app delivers the expected value without having to pay upfront, they then find it easier to spend on in-app transactions.”

She added that not all users will activate in-app transactions, especially those who cannot see the value of the app. However,...

Software Updates via MacUpdate

iStat Menus 6.00 - Monitor your system r...

iStat Menus lets you monitor your system right from the menubar. Included are 8 menu extras that let you monitor every aspect of your system.
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Airfoil 5.6.4 - Send audio from any app...

Airfoil allows you to send any audio to AirPort Express units, Apple TVs, and even other Macs and PCs, all in sync! It's your audio - everywhere.
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Hazel 4.2 - Create rules for organizing...

Hazel is your personal housekeeper, organizing and cleaning folders based on rules you define. Hazel can also manage your trash and uninstall your applications.
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Tor Browser Bundle 7.0.6 - Anonymize Web...

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Mellel 4.0.1 - The word processor for sc...

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OmniFocus 2.11 - GTD task manager with i...

OmniFocus helps you manage your tasks the way that you want, freeing you to focus your attention on the things that matter to you most.
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Path Finder 7.6 - Powerful, award-winnin...

Path Finder makes you a master of file management. Take full control over your file system. Save your time: compare and synchronize folders, view hidden files, use Dual Pane and full keyboard... Read more

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The best visual novels on mobile

Narrative games have been around for ages, but only now have they been creeping into the mainstream spotlight. These games tell some of the industry's finest stories, and they break new ground in terms of gameplay and mechanics regularly. Here are... | Read more »

The best new games we played this week -...

It's pretty much been one big release after another. We were privy to a bunch of surprises this week, with a lot of games we'd been waiting for quite some time dropping unexpectedly. We hope you're free this weekend, because there is a lot for... | Read more »

Stormbound: Kingdom Wars guide - how to...

Stormbound: Kingdom Wars is an excellent new RTS turned card battler out now on iOS and Android. Lovers of strategy will get a lot of enjoyment out of Stormbound's chess-like mechanics, and it's cardbased units are perfect for anyone who loves the... | Read more »

The best AR apps and games on iOS right...

iOS 11 has officially launched, and with it comes Apple's ARKit, a helpful framework that makes it easier than ever for developers to create mobile AR experiences. To celebrate the occassion, we're featuring some of the best AR apps and games on... | Read more »

Nothing raises excitement like a good competition, and we’re thrilled to announce our latest contest. We’ll be sending one lucky reader and a friend to the Summoners War World Arena Championship at Le Comedia in Paris on October 7th. It’s the... | Read more »

Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story...

Another Lost Phone: Laura's Story 1.0
Device: iOS Universal
Category: Games
Price: $2.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)
Description:
Another Lost Phone is a game about exploring the social life of a young woman whose phone you have just... | Read more »

The Witness (Games)

The Witness 1.0
Device: iOS Universal
Category: Games
Price: $9.99, Version: 1.0 (iTunes)
Description:
You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.
You don't remember who you are, and... | Read more »

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macOS High Sierra Brings Powerful New Core St...

Apple has announced the release of macOS High Sierra, the latest Mac operating system, as a free update.
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B&H Photo has the new 2017 15″ MacBook Pros on sale for up to $200 off MSRP. Shipping is free, and B&H charges sales tax in NY & NJ only:
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9-inch and 12-inch iPad Pros, Certified Refur...

Apple has Certified Refurbished 2016 12″ WiFi iPad Pros available starting at $589. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each model, and shipping is free:
– 32GB 12″ iPad Pro WiFi: $589... Read more

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